Occasional steam train picture

Unrebuilt Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific 35028 "Clan Line", 1959

It has been pointed out to me that I promised you occasional steam train images, and have comprehensively failed to deliver. Indeed.

The attached photograph is particularly interesting to the British Rail (Southern Region) steam engine enthusiast community as it shows that Clan Line did in fact last long enough before being rebuilt to receive the later British Railways insignia - the only Merchant Navy to do so, I believe.

Early Crest (aka "Cycling Lion") looked like this:

Late Crest (aka "Ferret with Dartboard") looked like this:

Clan Line was rebuilt in 1959/60 and survived to the end of steam from Waterloo in July 1967. Happily, she was saved out of service, and continues to perform on the main line, usually hauling the British Pullmans of the Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE), as seen below. You can read all about her at www.clan-line.org/index.

So there's some completely useless information for you!